Marking fabrics



Dec. 13, 1938. o. F. LoHMArgN MARKING FABRICS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 18, 1934 INVENTOR 0504,? f [Ob MANN ATTORNEY Dec. 13, 1938 o. F. LOHMANN 2,139,335

MARKING FABRICS Filed April 18, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 INVENTOR 0501/95 Zawv /v/v Patented Dec. 13, 1938 UN l TED STATES FATENT OFF'lCE 6 Claims.

Inmarking fabrics, such for example as printinga trade-mark upon the fabric, transfers have heretofore been employed. Transfers for this purpose consist of a thin sheet of paper on which .is printed the name ortrade-mark of a manufactureror dealer. The ink used in printing such transfers is a heavy-bodied ink which is :readily fusible. The mark on the transfers is readily transferred to fabrics by laying the transferon thefabric, with the side having the mark printed thereon in contact with the fabric, and pressing on thetransfer with a hot iron. The heat from the iron softens the marking composition and it is transferred to the fabric. It is the purpose of the invention herein disclosed to print suchmarks directly. upon the fabric and thus eliminating the use of transfers.

In accordance with the invention,.the fabric upon which .the design isto be printed is pressed into contact with a rotating .die having engraved in thesurface thereof the design to be printed on the fabric. Before each contact of a fabric with the engraved portion of the die, the engraving is filled with an ink in the fluid state. The

26 ink in theengraving adheres to the fabric pressed into contact with .the die and solidifies on the fabric. The application of a mark directly upon a fabric may be done in accordance with the invention by a machine which forms a part of the invention. The machine includesv an engraved die which is continuously rotated while the machine is operating. The die rotates in contact with ink in an ink fountain and a doctor blade wipes the surface of the die clean leaving ink only in the engraving in the surface thereof. .A pressure element is positioned to contact with the die and arranged so that there is no slipping between the surfaces. A fabric to be marked is pressed against the surface of the die by the pressure element and engages the engraved portion thereof.

Two forms of a machine embodying this invention are disclosed in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of one form of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic side elevation of an-- 5 other form of the machine.

The machine disclosed in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, of the drawings includes a frame I having a lower section la and an upper section lb divided by a transverse plate 2. Extending vertically ,55 through the upper section la of the frame and encloses the worm and worm gear.

ing 5. In axialalignment with the ball bearing 6 there is a ball bearing I mounted in a recess in the .sideof the collar 5a. Extending radially .of the. .collar fiathrough the bearing 6 and into the bearing 7, there is a horizontal shaft 8. The 15 outer end of the shaft 8 carries an engraved die .9 which is fixed in. its relation to thershaft by .a key. The die is cylindrical in shape andhas engraved in the surface thereof the design to be printed on a fabric. The die is'secured on the 0 shaft by .a nut. H3, and it is removable from the shaft and may be replaced by another die having a different design in the surface thereof.

Adjacent the inner. side of the bearing 6 there is fixed on the shaft 8.7a bevel gear II which 25 meshes with a beveled ring gear [2 mounted upon the top of the upper section la of the frame. Rotation of the shaft 3 therefore causes the die .9 to move horizontally in a circle and the gears II and l2 cause the shaft '8 and die 9 to rotate 30 continuously about their own axis. The ratio of the gears i I and i2 is such that the linear movement of thersurface of the die is equal to the linear movement of the die moving in the circle.

The shaft-3 is rotated through a worm gear 53 35 mounted on the lower end of the shaft 3 immediately below the frame plate 2. The Worm gear l3 meshes with a worm M secured on a jack shaft 15 which is journaled in a housing 1'6 that is secured to the under side of the plate 2 and 40 On the-end of the shaft 15 which extends through the gear housing, there is mounted a stepped pulley .11. A belt 48 connects the stepped pulley ll to an- .other stepped pulley 59 mounted upon the shaft 5 of an electric motor 2E9 secured ona brace 21 extending between the sides of the frame section la. The die rotates in contact with the open end of anink fountain 22 which is supported by the bracket arm 52) extending from the collar 5a.

The ink fountain is provided with a pair of guides 22a and 22b, one extending from each side thereof. A doctor blade 23 extends along the bottom of the ink fount and is secured thereto. A rectangular end piece 24 is supportedby the bracket 55 arm 51). The rectangular end piece has downwardly extending side elements 24a and 24b having grooves to receive the guides 22a and 22b of the ink fountain. Extending upwardly from the rectangular end piece there is a pair of spaced aligned lugs 24c and 2411 through which a bolt 25 extends. A link 26 is pivoted on the bolt 25 between the head of the bolt and the end of the lug 24d. The link normally extends downwardly and through the lower end thereof, there is an internally threaded opening in which there is received a thumb screw 21. The thumb screw abuts against the rear end of the ink fountain and serves to force the open end of the ink fountain to embrace the die 3 and to force the end of the doctor blade into contact with'the surface of the die. A nut 28 on the end of the bolt 25 engages the end of the lug 24c and prevents the bolt from moving longitudinally when pressure is exerted on the thumb screw 21. If it is desired to remove or replace the ink fountain, the thumb screw is loosened and the link 26 is swung out of the path of the ink fountain. The ink fountain may then be removed. As the die rotates in contact with the ink in the fountain the engraved portion thereof is filled with ink and the doctor blade wipes the surface of the die clean so that ink remains only in the engraving.

A pressure element 29 is provided for pressing a fabric into contact with the engraved portion of the surface of the die. The pressure element includes a plate 290. and a guide 2% extending perpendicularly from one surface of the plate. The other surface of the plate is recessed and holds a rubber pad 30 which is dovetailed into the recess in the plate. The guide 2% has a threaded opening longitudinally thereof and the guide is received in an opening formed in a bracket 3!. The bracket 3| is pivotally secured to the frame section I2 by a pin 32 which extends through arms 310. formed on the bracket. An arm 31b extends under the opening into which the guide 2% extends. The arm 3!?) has an opening therethrough in which a thumb screw 33 is rotatably mounted. The head of the thumb screw 33 engages the lower side of the arm and a collar 33a secured on the thumb screw engages the upper side of the arm. The thumb screw is thus held against longitudinal movement. The threaded portion of the thumb screw engages the threads in the opening in the guide 291) and thus serves as an adjusting screw for moving the pressure element. On the surface of the bracket 3! adjacent the frame, there is awedgeshaped lug 3lc which normally abuts against a bar 34 wedged between the lug 31c and a lug 35 on the frame. The bar 34 is pivoted between its ends on a stud 34a and extends downwardly through the lower end of the frame. Normally, the bar 34 holds the bracket in a position in which the rubber pad 30 lies in the path of the moving die so that it presses against the die as the die passes thereover. The die is so keyed on the shaft 8 that the engraved portion thereof engages the surface of the pad. Movement of the bar 34 about its pivot permits the bracket 3| to drop an amount sufficient so that the die does not makecontact with the rubber pad.

In operation, the die moves continuously, the ink fountain is filled with a heavy-bodied ink and stockings or other fabrics to have a mark printed thereon are placed manually, one at a time, on the pressure element. As the die passes thereover, the fabric is pressed into contact, resiliently by the rubber pad, with the engraved portion of the die. The engraving in the die is filled with ink which adheres to, and solidifies on the fabric. Following the die in its movement in a circle, there is a rod 36 for removing the fabric from the pressure element after the die has passed thereover. The rod 36 extends downwardly from another'rod 31 to which it is connected by a clamp 38, and it is bent to extend rearwardly relative to the direction of movement of the die at a point slightly below the surface of the pressure element. The rod 31 is supported by a bracket 39 secured to the collar 5a with which it rotates. A table may be mounted adjacent the machine but spaced therefrom and the fabrics to be marked placed upon the table. The fabrics are bent over and the end of the lowermost fabric is first placed upon the pressure element. As the die passes thereover, the rod 36 causes the end of the fabric to be removed from the pressure element and hang over the edge of the table. The end of the next lowermost fabric is then placed upon the pressure element. If there is no fabric on the pressure element as the die approaches, the bar 34 is shifted by the operator so that the die does not contact with the rubber pad and leave ink thereon,

It will of course be apparent that a pressure element can be placed on each side of the machine if desired so as to increase the output of the machine.

In Fig. i, there is disclosed, diagrammatically, a modified form of machine for marking fabrics. This latter form of machine includes an engraved die 46 which is mounted upon a' shaft 43 with which it rotates. The die runs in an ink fountain 4! similar to that previously described. A series of rubber pressure elements 42 are mounted in spaced relation on a continuous belt 43 which extends between driving drums 44 and 45. The drive drums have radial pins 44a and 45a extending from the surfaces thereof which engage perforations in the belt.

The shaft 40 and the shafts upon which the driving drums are mounted are connected together by sprockets 46, 41 and 48 and a chain 39 so that the relation therebetween is fixed. This relation is such that each pressure element engages an engraved portion of the die. A plate 50 below the belt insures a pressure contact between the pressure elements and the die. In operation, the fabrics are laid individually on the belt at one end with the section of the fabric to be marked resting on a pressure element and they are removed and stacked manually at theother end. I

It will be obvious that various changesmay be made by those skilled in the art in the embodiments of the invention described above within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for printing a design directly upon a fabric, a rotatably mounted die having engraved in the surface thereof a design to be printed on a fabric, means for continuously rotatupon a fabric a rotatably mounted die having.

engraved in the surface thereof 'a design to be printed on a fabric, means for continuously rotatupon a fabric, a rotatably mounted die having engraved in the surface thereof a design to be printed on a fabric, means for continuously rotating the die, means for moving the rotating die in a circle, a pressure element in the path of the moving die for pressing a fabric against the surface of the die, and means for removing a fabric from the pressure element after the die passes thereover.

4. In a machine for printing a design directly upon a fabric, a rotatably mounted die having engraved in the surface thereof a design to be printed on a fabric, means for continuously rotating the die, means for moving the rotating die in a circle, a pressure element in the path of the moving die for pressing a fabric against the surface of the die, means for moving the pressure element out of the path of the die, and means for removing a fabric from the pressure element after the die passes thereover.

5. In a machine for printing a design directly upon a fabric, a rotatably mounted die having engraved in the surface thereof a design to be printed on a fabric, means for continuously rotating the die, means for effecting cyclic linear movement of the die, and a cooperating pressure element arranged in the cyclic path of the die and positioned to engage the die during a portion of its cyclic linear movement to press a fabric thereon against the surface of the die.

6. In a machine for printing a design directly upon a fabric, a rotatably mounted die having engraved in the surface thereof a design to be printed on a fabric, means for continuously rotating the die, means for effecting cyclic linear movement of the die, and a cooperating pressure element arranged in the cyclic path of the die and positioned to engage the die during a portion of its cyclic linear movement, the pressure element including a resilient surface for pressing a fabric against the surface of the die.

OSCAR FREDERIC LOHMANN. 

